In a chat with Mahindra École Centrale's director Dr Yajulu Medury, we find out what gives their students an edge

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Dr Yajulu Medury says that, at MEC, they give students the opportunity to do a lot of things on their own

Recently, Mahindra École Centrale (MEC), an engineering college in Hyderabad, bid farewell to their first batch of engineers. This called for an occasion to connect with Dr Yajulu Medury, the director of the institute that was established in 2013. MEC was born when Mahindra Group (an Indian multinational conglomerate), École Central Paris (an eminent French institute that is now called CentraleSupélec) and our very own Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH) came together to set up what is now, one of the best engineering colleges in Hyderabad. And for a young institute, bidding adieu to its first batch is bound to be a tad emotional. "The first time is always special," agrees Dr Medury. And along with him, we recall the smiles of the 218 engineers who graduated from the institute. Chief guests like Uday Kotak, Managing Director and CEO, Kotak Mahindra were present at the occasion along with C P Gurnani, Member, Executive Committee, Managing Director and CEO, Tech Mahindra and Board member of MEC, Hervé Biausser, President, CentraleSupélec and several other dignitaries.

The highest CTC offered till date at MEC is Rs 30 lakh per annum. MEC students have been placed in companies like Raheja Developers, Voltas and Microsoft

Whether it's their nurturing faculty, various clubs or the activities they organise, Dr Medury says that what sets the students of MEC apart is their communication skills and the confidence of driving a business themselves. "We also focus on industry connect," says the director. With regards to this, one of the many things that MEC organises is the Centrale Connect. This conclave aims to bring academia and industry on one platform so that students can learn and motivate themselves. They strive to stay updated with the latest technologies as well, hence, they recently started a course on Blockchain. Dr Medury tells us that a course on Electric Vehicle Technology is also on the cards.

Bidding adieu: A scene from the first convocation held at MEC

Speaking about his vision for education, Dr Medury says that though the institutes in India are almost on par with those abroad when it comes to the latest technology, “there are certain aspects like industry interaction and application of theory in which we still lag behind." This is probably why one of their focus areas is industry connect. Talking about the latest technology, the director feels that it can be used effectively in a classroom to make sure that a student remains engaged in the lesson being taught. "Even if students retain 20% of what is taught in class, it has an impact on them," he says and affirms that apps and other formats like video will always be a supplement to all that is taught in classrooms, "I don't think teachers will ever lose their importance because teaching is an art in itself," adds Dr Medury, who has over three decades of experience in academics and administration.

Dr Medury believes in instilling confidence in every student to deliver what is asked. And that is something they ensure that every student leaves the institute with — a sense of self-confidence.